Firearm muzzle cover



Nov. 13, 1962 J. G. SUKALA, JR 3,063,184

FIREARM MUZZLE COVER Filed March 2, 1960 INVENTOR. Justin G. Sukala, Jr.

his ATTORNEYS.

3,063,184 FIREARM MUZZLE COVER Justin G. Sukala, In, 1731 Melrose Ave., Natrona Heights, Pa. Filed Mar. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 12,370 3 Claims. (Cl. 421) This invention relates to covers for the muzzle end of firearms that eliminates problems and dangers arising from leaving firearms uncovered.

It is easy to understand that the end of an uncovered gun muzzle is subject to being plugged up with rain, dirt, or mud and the like whenever a hunter is moving about in woods or fields. It is not an uncommon thing for a hunter to slip or fall or drop his firearms in such fashion as to plug up the bore of his gun, at which point the hunter must stop and clean the bore out, or if he is unwary and does not clean his gun he is subjecting himself to grave danger upon discharge of the firearm. Various covers have been heretofore proposed (e.g. Patent Nos. 2,543,473 to Kremkau and 2,558,792, to Snowden) to protect the bore opening from becoming so blocked. The chief objection to previous covers has been the time delay that the removal of said covers prior to aiming and discharging the gun entails and the care that must be taken in putting such covers on in the first place. The Army suggested to its infantrymen the use of thumb cots or similar articles for this purpose, but these are too much trouble to put on or take off a gun muzzle. Hunters and soldiers alike to whom time is of the essence when employing a firearm, have long desired and awaited a muzzle cover that could be alfixed and removed in a split second and yet will remain firmly in place while so aflixed. Prior muzzle covers have failed in this respect whereapplicants muzzle cover has succeeded.

Applicants muzzle cover provides a hollow body member adapted to surround the muzzle portion of a firearm, said hollow body member having permanent magnet means afiixed thereto in a portion thereof adjacent to said muzzle portion. Thus, the cover is held on the muzzle of the firearm by virtue of the magnetic attraction between the muzzle and magnet means affixed to the cover whereby the cover may be whipped off in a split second if need be, and may just as easily be put in place on the muzzle, and will, nevertheless, tenaciously stay in place on the muzzle.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of certain present preferred embodiments thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown certain present preferred embodiments of the invention in which: FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a firearm with my cover shown in place thereon;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a cover in accordance with my invention shown applied to the muzzle of a firearm in top plan;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 illustrates in cross section a cover in accordance with the invention as applied to a double barreled firearm.

Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGURES 1 and 2, I have illustrated a firearm muzzle cover wherein a firearm 10, having a barrel 11 with a bore 12 and muzzle portion 13, has my muzzle cover 14- aifixed thereto. As shown in FIGURE 2, body portion 15 of cover 14 is made of pliable plastic sheet material rolled to a double thickness or layer with two permanent magnets 16 placed between the two thicknesses and trapped in place therein by welding or otherwise adhering the two layers to- 3,053,184 Patented Nov. 13, 1962 ice gether around magnets 16 as indicated in the drawings at reference 16a. The plastic sheet is extended over to close end 17 of cover 14 while end 18 of cover 14 is left open for the reception of muzzle portion 13. I also provide a reinforcement such as wire 19 between said two layers of plastic sheet at end 18, which is held in place by similar welding or adhering means aforementioned with respect to magnets 16. Wire 19 keeps end 18 from possibly collapsing and interfering with the insertion of muzzle 13 therein. Applicant further provides to cut away a portion 20 of the inner thickness of the plastic sheet of body portion 15 to allow a metal to metal contact between barrel 11 and raised portion 21 of magnets 16, for better attraction and holding quality. It is manifestly clear that many different materials and variations as well as sizes and shapes may be employed for this purpose without departing from the scope of applicants invention. For instance, canvas may be used, or rubber or leather and many other materials for the body portion 15. Applicant in this present preferred embodiment selected plastic because it. is a flexible, durable, low cost, easily managed and workable material. Care must be used, however, where a stronger material. is selected such as aluminum, brass or other metal for body portion 15, that end portion 17 is sufiiciently thin or weak or composed of a more suitable material to allow the passage of a bullet therethrough in the event of accidental discharge of the firearm while cover 14 is in place. The plastic sheet applicant provides is admirable in this respect, being strong enough to prevent the entry of foreign matter into bore 12 even when shoved into dirt or mud yet not so strong as to occlude bore 12 or prevent passage of a bullet therethrough. Likewise the size and shape of body portion 15 should be made to accommodate the various sizes and shapes of barrels encountered in firearms from small size arms to double barreled shotguns. It is not necessary that body portion 15 of cover 14 fit snugly or perfectly over muzzle 13, in fact a relatively loose or sloppy fit is more desirable to facilitate greater ease and rapidity in afiixing or removing cover 14 from muzzle 13. This accounts for another reason applicant prefers a flexible material such as plastic for body portion 15, because magnets 16 may nevertheless make metal to metal contact even though cover 14 is oversized.

It is also obvious that magnets 16 may be placed elsewhere than as shown in FIGURE 2, or that additional magnets may be aifixed for a firmer attachment. It is also possible to use a doughnut type magnet affixed at end 18 of cover 14, but applicant prefers not to use such an arrangement for fear that the magnet might slip down and partially occlude bore 12 which would be very dangerous in the event of inadvertant discharge of firearm 10 with bore 12 so blocked. Likewise, it is obvious that magnets 16 may be affixed to body portion 15 in a variety of ways such as by embedding them in the cover, or riveting them to the cover, or by using adhesive, or if a metal body is utilized it may be a magnetized portion of such body. Therefore, while applicant has shown and described a present preferred embodiment of a muzzle cover, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A muzzle cover for firearms having muzzles made of magnetic materials comprising a flexible hollow body through and permanent magnet means disposed Within said hollow body member and secured thereto whereby when said hollow body member is disposed on said muzzle it is held thereon by the magnetic attraction between said magnet means and said muzzle.

2. A muzzle cover for firearms having muzzles made of magnetic materials comprising a flexible hollow body member having a closed end and an open end, said hollow body member having a substantially larger inside diameter than the muzzle it is to be disposed upon whereby said hollow body member loosely surrounds said muzzle when disposed thereupon, said hollow body member being of water proof material readily permitting passage of a bullet therethrough and having annular stiffening means therein at said open end whereby said open end is predisposed to remain open and permanent magnet means disposed within said hollow body member and secured thereto in a position removed from said closed end whereby when said hollow body member is disposed on said muzzle it is held thereon by the magnetic attraction between said magnet means and said muzzle.

3. A muzzle cover for firearms having muzzles made of magnetic materials comprising a flexible hollow body member having a closed end and an open end, said hollow body member having a substantially larger inside diameter than the muzzle it is to be disposed upon whereby said hollow body member loosely surrounds said muzzle when disposed thereupon, said hollow body member comprising at least two layers of thin flexible plastic material and having annular stiflening means therein at said open end whereby sad open end is predisposed to remain open and permanent magnet means disposed between said layers and secured therein in a position removed from said closed end whereby when said hollow body member is disposed on said muzzle it is held thereon by the magnetic attraction between said magnet means and said muzzle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

